U.S. Women's World Cup player says she is looking to return for 2023 soccer tournament

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United States’ Megan Rapinoe, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Women’s World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

United States’ Megan Rapinoe, center, celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Women’s World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

United States’ Megan Rapinoe celebrates winning the Women’s World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

United States’ Megan Rapinoe celebrates with the golden soccer shoe after her team won the Women’s World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

United States’ Megan Rapinoe, left, talks to her teammate Alex Morgan, right, after winning the Women’s World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

FRANCE — U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe will be 38 by the time the 2023 Women’s World Cup takes place.

But Rapinoe, who turned 34 on Friday, hopes to be part of the U.S. roster for the tournament that will be hosted by one of the nine countries bidding to hold the event.

“I’m not anywhere near to be done or looking to be done,” Rapinoe told this news organization in May. “I feel like I am in the second-career of my career right now.”

The lavender-haired winger proved it Sunday with her sixth goal off a penalty kick to score the winning goal as the United States defeated the Netherlands 2-0 to defend its World Cup title.

It was her 50th international goal and led to winning the tournament’s Golden Boot. Rapinoe tied teammate Alex Morgan and England’s Ellen White for the most goals scored. But Rapinoe and Morgan had three assists each in the first tiebreaker to White’s 0. Rapinoe won the trophy on minutes per goals scored.

The United States has won an unprecedented four world championship titles with Germany having won the tournament twice.

Can Rapinoe, the American co-captain, come back for a fourth World Cup?

Rapinoe’s father, Jim Rapinoe, is not as confident as his daughter about continuing at the highest level. Jim Rapinoe said the other day in Redding that he worries about Megan’s future health after she has undergone three knee surgeries.

But Rapinoe, who started Sunday after recovering from a minor hamstring muscle strain last week, is not ready to stop.

“There comes a point around your late 20s or 30s where you either get old really fast and you’re done or you change,” she said. “You switch things up and you start your second career.”

Rapinoe said she came to France this summer a better player than four years ago when Carli Lloyd was the undisputed star of the American team.

Rapinoe has transcended sport with her outspoken activism, such as leading a gender-discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation filed in federal court in Los Angeles earlier this year.

But she also has focused on staying physically strong to withstand the rigors of a young woman’s game.

“You can’t keep doing the exact same things,” Rapinoe said of training. “Your body changes. The way that I eat and the way I train and the recovery methods that I use are so much more and so much more intentional. Whatever step you might lose in terms of your youth you can gain back in smarts and being intentional with the training you are doing.”

Rapinoe said she changed her attitude four years ago after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament that required surgery. She said the recovery she employed for the knee also changed the rest of her training.

“For me, it’s now a little game of what marginal gains can I make,” she said. “How much better care can I take of my body, how can I tweak little things, what can I change in my diet, what can I change in my training program, what can I change in sleep and recovery?

“Oftentimes it becomes this fun little game of where can I make a 1 percent improvement of what I am doing.”